Feeding mechanism.



PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

0. ASHIDN. 1 FEEDING MECHANISM. ,APPLIOATION FILED APR. 12, 1906.

3 BHEETS-$HBET 1.

I PATENTED 111110.10; 1907'.

0. ASHTON. FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION PIL ED APR. 12,1906.

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ORREVLL ASHTON, or LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

, FEEDING MECHANISM. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

"Patented Dec. 10 1907'.

Application filed April 12.1906- Serial No. 311390. i

To alt whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, ORRELL' AsnToN, a

; citizen of the United States, residin at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and )ommonwealth of, Massachusetts, have invented cor tam Improvements 1n FeedlngMechamsm,

of-which the following description, in con,

nection with the accompanying drawings, is a spec1ficat1on,l1ke reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the sev-' eral figures.

This nvention relates to sewing machines and other machines'in which stock is fed profor sewing cloth, sue

gressively into position to beoperated upon and is herein shown .as embodied in a machine together the ends of lengths 'ofmachines being designed particularly for use in mills where loom lengths of cloth require to be united to facilitate subseuent operations upon the continuous strip t us formed.

A very important feature of the invention eonsists'in novel stock feeding mechanism.

This mechanism includes a carrier member for presenting the stock to the means for op erating upon it, herein shown and referred to as stitch forming means, and devices for engaging the stock to insure its advancewith the carrier member. These enga ng devices have a movement independent '0 the carrier forengaging the stock before it reaches the stitch forming means, a movement with the carrier to advance the stock past the stitch forming means, and a further movement with relation to the carrier to disengage them selves from the stock after it has been sewed.

As herein shown, the carrier is a rotatable member in the form of a wheel, which'may be turned intermittently but preferably will be rotated continuously forcarrying the stock" under the stitch forming means, or it may be any other means for operating upon the stock.

The feeding devices, cooperating with the carrier are herein: shown as carried by it, although they might be otherwise mounted, and as actuated. to project them beyond the periphery of the carrier wheel into engagement with theistock thereon before the engaged portion of the stock reaches position to be sewed. "The actuating means is'arranged to holdthe devices in operative engagement with the stock to insure its advance with the carrier to and past thestitchformmg means ,a'nd then to withdraw said devices within the periphery of the wheel, whereby the, stock is stripped from them after thestitch form ng and movable radiallywith relation to. the

wheel by a cam which isarranged to act upon the pinssuccessivelyand control. theirmovements in engaging and disengaging the stock. The engaging devices are preferably so arranged and actuated that one will not be withdrawn from thest'ock until .the next following one has assed-thestitch forming means whereby t e stock will be drawn past, the stitch'f'orming means with certainty.

Other features of the invention, including details of construction and combinations of parts, will. be hereinafter des'cribedand pointed out in the'claim's. In the accompanying drawings which represent a sewing machine embodying the invention in the best forin now known to me, Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. '2 is aside elevation; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a perspective View on an enlarged scale. I v The apparatusis shown as a-portable machine, the base ,ofwhich is provided with casters as shown in Fig. 1. T ecolumn is formed with a bearing for a sha t2 carrying a335 ism. This carrier member is hereinshown as a wheel 16 of large diameter and prefer: ably is connected to the gear 15 by-ineans which permit its rotation'independently of carrier member of the stock feeding mechanthe driving means described. This 'conne'c tion as herein shown comprises a rotatable wheel 18 movable with the gear lfi and a pawl 20 carried by the wheel 16in position "to cooperate with the ratchet,,as,shown in Figs.

2 and 4. A spring 22 hold s the pawl toth'e ratchet, v

v Cooperating with'ih feeding devicesshown as comprising pins 25 arranged to extend radially through guides in the wheel and attaphed to shank members 26, which are similarly guided in the wheelf The shank members are provided with por tIOHSWVhIGhaI'Q, as herein shown, receivedin e carrier wheel 1'6 are j a cam groove 28 of? a cam block 30 by means of which the feeding devices are projectedbeyond the periphery of the wheel into posi- .tion to engage the stock and insure its ad vancewith the carrier'wheel, and are retracted to strip themselves from the stock and avoid danger of the stock being carried groove28 is illustrated as formed to cause three of these pins to project into position to engage the stockat a time so that while one the means for operating on the stock another is holding the stock in operative relation to will be operative for drawing the stock from the means for operating on it and a third may be entering the stock preparatory to performing its function. The cam block is preferably movable to permit the positions of the pins to be adjusted or to be projected earlieror later with relation to the point at which the stock is acted upon by the means to which it is fed. To this end the cam is mounted, as shown in Fig. 3, on the fixed spindle 32 upon which the gear 15 and the Wheel 16 turn and is secured thereon by' a binding screw 84. By loosening the binding screw the cam can be moved angularly about the spindle into any relation to the fixed spindle and caused to project and withdraw the pins 25 earlier or later in their travel.

The means for operating upon the stock presented by the feeding mechanism is herein shown assewing or stitch forming mechanism adapted to connect two'lengths of cloth,

although it might be any other means for operating upon stock. The stitch formin I fast on a shaft 44 carried in mechanism is shown as of the single threa chain stitch type and is operated by a belt 40 extending from the pulley 4 to a pulley 42 earmgs of a bracket 45 secured to the top of the column ofthe machine. The shaft is connected by a pitman 46 to a slide 48 having a forwardly extending arm 50'oarrying a needle bar 52 by which the needle 54 1S operated. The slide 48 reciprocates between guide plates 56 mountedin posts 58 of the bracket 45 and one of which is adjustable by means of the set screws 60 to take up wear of the slide and guide. The connection of the needle bar to theslide 48 is not so rigid as to interfere wlth the slight movement of the needle in the direction of the feed which may be required because of the continuous movement of the feed wheel 16. ,The needle works through a shield 65 which is providedwith an elongated needle opening 66,'as shown in Fig. 4, to accommodate the movement of the thread as the stock is fed. The thread is supported on a spool holder 68and runs through a guide 7 0 and a tension device 72 to the needle bar ands own in Fig. 2.' Any other usual or suitable form of stitchfforming mechanism or other mechanism for operating on the stock may be substituted for that shown and here described.

To facilitate access to the parts of the ma chine which are located behind the carrier wneel 16 without removing the wheel said wheel is formed with a section 80 of its rim -keys causes them to bind upon the main portion of the wheel when the section has nearly reached its normal operative position, but to offer no resistance to the major portion of the movement of inserting and removing the section 80.

By reason of the-connection between the wheel 16 and its driving mechanism which permits the wheel to be rotated independently, said. wheel may be turned to bring a portion of the stock which has been impaled on a feeding pin 25 into position to begin the sewing at any desired point. Also this-connection allows the wheel to be readily turned without pedaling to bring the section 80 up pe111u)st-wliere its removal will expose the said looper 75 and the pawl 20 which are the hidden parts most'likely to require inspection.

In using the machine herein shown the stock to be fed is placed upon the carrier wheel and, engaged-with a feeding device after which the wheel may be turned by hand, if desired, to bring under the needle the point at which the sewing is to begin. Movement of the treadle will then rotate the wheel and cause the feeding pins to engage the stock automatically, positively carry it to thencedle, and then continue their control to draw it past the needle. Preferably one pin will not disengage itself from the stock until the following pin has passed the needle, so. that the succession of pins maintain constant engagement with the stocktodraw it past the needle/and then automatically strip them selves from the stock so that it is not carried around by or caused to wind upon the wheel.

Having explained the nature of my invention-and fully described a machine embody ing its several features,-I-'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a carrier for supporting the stock and meansfor actuating the carrier, of stock engaging pins movable with the carrier and. normally occupying positions below the stock supporting surface of the carrier, and means for automatically projecting the pins into, the stgtfck and then withdrawing them therefrom 2. In a mechanism of the class described,

. whee], I

3. Ina mechanism of the class described,

the combination witha carrier wheel for six porting the stock and means for turning t e wheel, of pins located 'normally within the peripher of the Wheel and means for j e'ctmg tlie pins beyond the periphery o the wheel and thereafter retracting them at predetermined the combinationwith'a stockfeeding wheel and means for rotating it, of pins'arranged radially on the wheel and a. cam stationary within the'periphery of the wheel, and means for projecting the pins successively into' en- I gagement with the stock on the wheel before the operating means is reachedand withdrawing the pins from the stock after the operating means has been passed.

- 5, In a mechanism of the class deScribed,

the combination with means for operating on stock, of a stock feeding wheel, meansfor rotating the wheel, pins arranged radially'on the wheel, and a cam for projecting the pins successively into engagement with the stock I on one side of the operating means and withpoints in thero'tation' of the I drawing them when they have reached the other slde of the operating means, said cam being adjustable relatively to the means foro eratin'g on the stock to change the oint in t e rotation of the wheel at which t e pins shalI-be projected and withdrawn. 6. n a mechanism of the class described, the combination-with mechanism for o erating on stock, of a stock feeding whee arranged in front of said mechanism and hav ing a portion of its rim removable to allow access to the operating mechanism.

.7. In a mechanism of theclass described, a stock feeding wheel having a portion of its rim removable from the main ortion and a cooperating groove-and s ring ey formed in the abutting edges of said portions for securing them in assembled relation.

8. In amechanism of the class described,

a stock feedin wheel comprising a main rim section provi ed with grooves in its ed es,

and a removable rim section provided'wit a rib to cooperate withsaid groove, said rim having an outer spring section for locking the 1 removable section in normal position.

In testimony whereof I have'signed my two subscribing witnesses. ORRELL ASHTON.

name to this specification in thepresence of,

Witnesses: I

HUGH HAUSTER, HANNAH Asn'roN. 

